No Ordinary Love - G.Callen NCIS L.A

Chapter 10

Christmas morning came and Callen found himself at a loss what to do with himself. He didn't want to intrude on Kensi and Deeks' Christmas, but he didn't want to go to Sam's and he didn't want to be alone either.

When he reached for his phone to go and call Deeks after all, he'd missed a text from Deja. Merry Christmas! Go and see your friends; they offered. Take that quiche I made you put in your freezer so you don't come empty handed, and have FUN! Kiss, Dee

Maybe she was more observant than he thought she was. She was getting under his skin and he didn't even know it. At last, he gave up, grabbed the quiche and headed out the door. When he walked up to their door, he was still hesitant, but maybe it was time he reached out. And they had offered, after all.

Kensi's face lit up when she opened the door. "Callen!" She hugged him and ushered him through to the living room. "Your plans fell through?"

"Sort of. Long story. Are you sure that I'm not intruding?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "You are like my brother. We offered, and I'm glad you're taking us up on it."

He handed her the quiche, relieved that he wasn't invading anything. Kensi grinned. "What's this?"

Four pairs of eyes were watching him. He shrugged sheepishly. "It's a quiche. Tomatoes, goat's cheese and herbs. Homemade."

Julia was the first to respond by walking up and taking the quiche out of his hands. "Thank you, Callen. Apparently, I've done a poor job with my daughter." She glanced at Kensi. "Kensi, when guests bring something, you say thank you."

"I'm too speechless to say anything," Kensi recovered. "Since when do you cook?"

Deeks shook his head. "He's been cooking forever. You do remember he brings lunch these days, to work?" He raised his glass at Callen and winked. "Good to have you here, brother."

"Thanks." He took in the huge Christmas tree and decorations. Their house was homely. Something he was going to have to make of his own place, someday. It made you feel at home, at ease.

"Here." Kensi handed him a glass of punch. "I know, I know. We're doing this whole domestic thing this year. I'm not apologizing for being settled. I like it."

He did, too. Dinner came and everybody complimented him on the quiche, so much, that he readily admitted to having had help. "I didn't do it on my own, you know. I'm still a complete disaster in the kitchen, on my own."

Deeks snorted. "You can't possibly be worse than Kensi. She'll manage to burn a boiling egg."

Kensi stuck her tongue out, not insulted in the least. "I would. Thankfully for me, I have you, and Mom, and Roberta, so we won't completely starve to death."

"Do we know her?" Roberta put her fork down.

Callen looked up, startled. "Who?"

She pointed at her food. "The girl that's learning you to cook."

He shook his head. "It's just cooking lessons at a local bistro. Nothing fancy. It was about time I had some domestic skills."

Both mothers regarded him as if to contradict him, but said nothing. Callen found that he actually liked this small family gathering. It was cozy and more importantly, he was able to be himself. Even though he knew both Julia and Roberta saw right through him, they didn't ask further. He laughed, he drank, made fun with Deeks and of Kensi, and enjoyed their company. After dinner, he found himself walking Monty with Deeks, while the women were doing dishes.

"Thanks for being here, Callen." He seemed as genuine as Callen had ever seen him.

"I should thank you for having me," Callen answered. "This was the first Christmas you had with both your moms."

"Second. And you're part of the family." He was silent for a moment. "You think you'll ever get used to the no family part of life?"

The question took him by surprise. "I wish I could answer yes," he answered truthfully. "But I've had over thirty years to come to terms with it, and I'm still a 'tribe of one'."

"Yeah. But being a tribe of one sucks, doesn't it?" Deeks looked at him.

"You're lucky, you've got Kensi, and two mothers, although that might not always have gone the way you want it to. You do still have them."

Deeks had to give him that, even though Callen had skillfully sidestepped the question. "We do. Know that you'll always have Kensi and me. Whatever might be going on, you'll always have a place with us."

Callen swallowed. "Thanks, Deeks, I really appreciate that."

Deeks shrugged. "Us foster kids have to stick together, right? We're the only ones who really know what it's like."

"Unfortunately."

"Unfortunately." For a moment, he paused, tugging Monty along. "Whoever she is, keep her to yourself for as long as you can. Sam will hijack her the moment he knows she's there."

Was he really so unsuccessfully shielding his private life from his work one? "What are you talking about? Why is everyone so insistent that there's someone in my life?" At least he could put up some sort of front.

Laughing, Deeks shook his head. "Kensi and I might have danced around each other for a while, but I know the look of a man in love, Callen. You look like a love struck puppy every time you open your lunch box and stash the notes when you think no one is looking." He winked. "Don't worry, you hide it very well and I won't tell a living soul."

He'd gravely underestimated Deeks' s detective skills. He'd thought he was not showing anything, but apparently, he was. "What was your first clue?"

"That you've met someone? I might've missed the fact that you no longer sleep at the office, but there are the lunches. The rushing off after work. The tea. The smiling. There was the Sahara, with the mild panic attack at having misplaced your personal phone... All small changes, but changes. I'm not as dense as I sometimes pretend to be."

"I know that." If there was one thing he'd learned about Deeks over the years, it was that the man was way better at his job than he would let on. "Apparently, I need to be more careful than I thought."

"You can always tell Sam to stow it. If you don't want to share, you don't want to share. Totally get that part. She's not in town, then?"

"She's in Barcelona, visiting family." He didn't know why he was sharing all this. He'd kept his budding romance with Deja under wraps for months now; he was used to it. Perhaps he was ready to let someone know that he was genuinely happy. "I'm counting down the days until she's back. You think that's weird?"

"Nope."

"You serious?"

Deeks raised an eyebrow at him. "Really, bro? Last time I checked, missing someone was a good, although difficult, thing. I was close to counting minutes when Kensi was in Afghanistan."

That Callen knew. Living through it was different to watching something happen from a distance, though.

"When's she coming back?"

"Saturday." Only four more long days until he could hold her in his arms again. Then something struck him. "You think Eric and Nell know?"

Deeks shook his head. "Nah, they're way too busy with their own may-or-may-not thing that they'd notice stuff like that. Hetty on the other hand..."

He wasn't going to kid himself. "Oh, Hetty knows. I don't know how she knows, but she knows."

"It's probably her Hettyness or something. Does it bother you?"

Callen shrugged. "I haven't thought about it yet. I mean, she knew you and Kensi would be a good fit; the only thing I can hope is that she thinks the same for me with Dee."

"Dee, huh?"

Callen rolled his eyes. Why was he spilling his secrets so easily? "Deja. Dee is just way easier." They were back at the house, and Callen held Deeks back. "Uhm..."

Deeks patted his back. "Don't worry. I promised I wouldn't tell a living soul. She's yours to share, not mine." With that he unclipped Monty's leash and started walking. "Come on Monty, let's see if Mommy made coffee yet."